Seat rework

[snj5]

As many have told me, the original Corduroy seat material simply doesn't seem to exist, and have not been lucky in finding a set for sale, therefore,...

Based on previous experience working with Stefan at GTS Classics, we are going to get as close as we can. Stefan is currently checking with sources in Germany for what options may be available for the material. The lateral velour mohair material seems ok to match for the moment. The rub, of course, is that the requirement is for tan, making selections a bit more nuanced. The car is a 72, so will be using the vertical pattern trying to at least capture the feel of the original.

Spoiler alert **purists avert your eyes**

We are going to slightly modify the seat to fit my needs a bit better. I am a very big and tall guy, so in addition to the usual shining up the front of the seat, we are going to try to work the stuffing a bit different to do two things without affecting comfort. Stefan says he can subtly lower and inset the ribbed section and discretely fill out the side bolsters to provide a bit more sitting height and provide more lateral support. We are still working the details, but I hope it can be fairly discrete and maintain the original look. To add a personal requirement, the seats will have aftermarket electric bun warmers with controls on the side of the seat ( he has done this before). Call me a wimp, but my daily driver spoiled me and I'm moving to Ohio...

I'd appreciate any suggestions, experience of advice folks may have to get as near to the best functioning original appearance seat. Thanks!

 

[rb1971]

To add a personal requirement, the seats will have aftermarket electric bun warmers with controls on the side of the seat ( he has done this before). Call me a wimp, but my daily driver spoiled me and I'm moving to Ohio...

I'd appreciate any suggestions, experience of advice folks may have to get as near to the best functioning original appearance seat. Thanks!

My suggestion is that you will love this. Stefan put warmers on my seats and they are phenomenal.

 

[HB Chris]

Even a purist can appreciate what you are trying to achieve! Raising/shimming the front helps a lot and modding the stuffing as you describe will help even more. We don't need bun warmers here in SoCal so I will leave it at that.

 

[John Buchtenkirch]

I have to admit that I used to think heated seats were just another silly gadget to break & give me trouble. However my Audi wagon was my first car with them and I have to say I stand corrected. They are one of the best and unexpected things that’s ever happened :grin::grin::grin: for my old creaky and at times trick back, I never turn mine off, even in the hot summer. I kind of think my heated Audi seats are the reason I’ve never been able to really get quite comfortable in my coupe’s seats. I remember I put 1 ¼” shims under the front of my Bavaria seats and thought they were great but I was a much younger man back then. Age changes things…… it certainly changed my opinion on heated seats. ~ John Buchtenkirch

 

[PaulinPa]

What does Stephan charge to redo a seat complete with heaters?

 

[snj5]

What does Stephan charge to redo a seat complete with heaters?

Still working up the option estimates as we are trying to find the best material available between his sources in Germany, and me poking around at World Upholstery and Bill Hirsch. Should know in a couple of weeks. I've gotten about 30 samples so far, and while some are close, no cigar yet. One problem is that I do not have any photographs of a 72 style cloth seat in tan - several blue and black, many tan horizontal 74s, but not the vertical corduroy of the earlier cars. A tempting option is the tan/beige BMW houndstooth or checker board cloth used in other earlier BMW cars. At least it's oem.
All help and suggestions appreciated.
I'll post the progress here. As with everything, it's just how good do you want it. It may seem silly, but for me the seat is very important as I am a big guy.

 

[snj5]

Fabric

As has been pointed out by those more knowledgable than me, the original BMW cloth seat center material is quite extinct. I have found a slightly similar BMW material from World Upholstery, with a velour from Bill Hirsch.
Still waiting on a German vendor to see what he has. All advice welcome.

 

[David]

You might give these guys a try:

http://www.veteranco.com/

I sourced a substitute elephant skin from them that is really, really close, and a fraction of the cost of the original--if you can even find the original.

 

[snj5]

You might give these guys a try:

http://www.veteranco.com/

I sourced a substitute elephant skin from them that is really, really close, and a fraction of the cost of the original--if you can even find the original.

This is a great source! Many thanks!

Cloth swatches:
http://www.veteranco.com/swatch/card19.html

 

[snj5]

Thanks again for the Veteranco link.

Although the search goes on, two 'near' options:
From veteranco, striped corduroy type MB2454 and matching velour as shown below. Some may recognize this from an older Mercedes, and has the black stripe that the original BMW fabric did not have. See attachment below.

Another option is to use a BMW pattern a bit similar, BM948 also shown below, and match a BMW velour for the side bolsters. BM948 does not have the black stripe, but is not a corduroy type material.

The search goes on, still waiting for a response from some German sources. All advice welcome.

 

[snj5]

In the continuing search to find a similar corduroy seat fabric, in tan no less, a strong contender available from LeBarron Bonney is a tan corduroy, TC-1, shown below (Note they also have a NAVY blue corduroy BC-1 for you blue interior guys). Will request some samples.
http://www.lebaronbonney.com/fabrics.htm
And from Himmelservice.de, a specialist in vintage VW restoration, has a bedford cord braun, also shown below. This to me looks a bit like some 3.0S fabrics I have seen in photos.
http://www.himmelservice.de/english/home.html
All leads and advice appreciated and will share what I find.
Russ

 

[Luis A.]

Russ,

Did you see this outfit: http://www.oldtimer-textiles.de/

I requested many samples and quickly received them. Haven't purchased material yet but have been very responsive so far.

 

[snj5]

Luis,
Many thanks! I had not found them. They have some other BMW cloth types listed than some of the other suppliers I have seen. While not a corduroy, I have seen a Coupe with a black velour interior using the checker pattern (like the Oldtimer-textile 500/30 in braun, see attached) which looked fantastic. Not sure how accurate, but looked very 'BMW'. I actually have been unable to find a good photo of an original tan/beige cloth interior, and assume it is similar to the grey coruroy shown in the sales brochures. Any references appreciated.
Again, many thanks for the referral!!
Russ

Oldtimer fabrics:

 

[snj5]

I have to admit that I used to think heated seats were just another silly gadget to break & give me trouble. However my Audi wagon was my first car with them and I have to say I stand corrected. They are one of the best and unexpected things that’s ever happened :grin::grin::grin: for my old creaky and at times trick back, I never turn mine off, even in the hot summer. I kind of think my heated Audi seats are the reason I’ve never been able to really get quite comfortable in my coupe’s seats. I remember I put 1 ¼” shims under the front of my Bavaria seats and thought they were great but I was a much younger man back then. Age changes things…… it certainly changed my opinion on heated seats. ~ John Buchtenkirch

Will definitely be going with the front shims. I've read other threads where heights vary from 3/8" to the above 1.25". From what I have read, the method seems to be to put the shim between the seat and the rail. When we recover the seats will see if we can bring out or 'functionally overstuff' the side bolsters a bit for some side grab where it does not really change the appearance so much. I remember early low back 911 seats being like this, and even my old 2000CS seats seem to wrap around you on the sides (although with my car probably in part due to failing springs).

If the fabric search does not bring up any acceptable solutions, will go back with leather in the correct 72 pattern

Any further technical advice/photos about shimming the seats encouraged!
Thanks
Russ

 

[rsporsche]

i have to agree with seat heaters. never had them until i got an audi a3 in 2007. when i sold it and bought the cayman - seat heaters were a requirement. now i have another must have - adjustable lumbar support. when i get around to doing my scheel seats, i'm going to put seat heaters + a lumbar unit on them. as far as changing the angle of the seat, i can't put shims under the front of my seat ... while i'm not as tall as HBChris or Stevehose, i'm probably taller from the waste up than either of them. what i have found was a plate for the scheels that depresses the back side. i might actually go to lower the front and the back - just more depressed on the back side.

 

[Stan]

i have to agree with seat heaters. never had them until i got an audi a3 in 2007. when i sold it and bought the cayman - seat heaters were a requirement. now i have another must have - adjustable lumbar support. when i get around to doing my scheel seats, i'm going to put seat heaters + a lumbar unit on them. as far as changing the angle of the seat, i can't put shims under the front of my seat ... while i'm not as tall as HBChris or Stevehose, i'm probably taller from the waste up than either of them. what i have found was a plate for the scheels that depresses the back side. i might actually go to lower the front and the back - just more depressed on the back side.

...now I am waiting for Arde to comment on your depressed backside! As a pharmacist, i can recommend an antidepressant!

 

[rsporsche]

...now I am waiting for Arde to comment on your depressed backside! As a pharmacist, i can recommend an antidepressant!

that's what i get for writing late at night while on the road ... after dinner in boston

 

[snj5]

Cloth patterns

After looking at various cloth samples, the bugaboo as most know is what is the center cloth pattern. While I have not had a clear shot of a pre-74 beige/tan interior, extrapolating from other car cloth fabrics gives us the possibilities of a corduroy material with plain velour bolsters or a BMW 'checkerboard' pattern with plain velour bolsters. The corduroy is clearly seen in the grey interior from a factory brochure and many blue corduroy cloth cars, while I have seen some concours black cars with a black checkerboard cloth.
Finalists:
a. I have not found a corduroy material in BMW proper cloth samples, but LeBarron Bonney (http://www.lebaronbonney.com/fabrics.htm ) sells a tan corduroy material, TC-1, that is close.
b. A german milled beige checkerboard material in the World Upholstery BMW fabric selections ( http://worlduph.com/samples/bmw_body_cloth.htm ) as Pearl Beige 153, also available in Anthracite 150.

I am currently leaning toward 'b' as it is a known BMW cloth pattern, and find a smooth matching velour. That said, 'a' does look like the center material in 74 and after seats when BMW went to horizontal pleats.

Padding foam
Visited Stefan's shop (GTS classic seats) in Austin today to review the plan. He has new bolster padding for the sides, squab and probably headrest. And, of course, seat heaters.

Has anyone out there seen an original BMW pre-74 vertical pleated velour seat in beige/tan that remembers the pattern? Many thanks
russ

 

[HB Chris]

Interesting that the brochure shows seats with no aluminum trim on the backrest (typical of early 2800CS), no headrests and no ashtrays on the doors. Saw a nice CSi today with no ashtrays for the first time and black cloth centers with vinyl bolsters, looked very nice, a little like CSL Scheels but stock seats.

 

[rsporsche]

not positive how accurate the colors are from a pdf ... this was something i downloaded from bmw-coupeclub.de